Erin McKeown

Erin McKeownMerri Cyr

Erin McKeown's new album Manifestra functions as a political manifesto. In the fourteen years since her debut Monday Morning Cold, released while she was still attending Brown, McKeown hadn't quite asserted her politics directly.

Her early work reflected her folk roots and potentional for broader instrumentation. On Manifestra, McKeown takes a different approach-- collaborating with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, Polly Paulusma and Ryan Montbleau.

The self-released and fan-funded album features a McKeown who combines ska, ballads, post-punk and straightforward rock to make political statements. "Baghdad to the Bayou," her track with Maddow, hardly requires explanation. "In God We Trust," "The Politician," and "The Jailer" find McKeown speaking out on the death penalty, foreign policy, and income inequality.

The release also includes a second disc, Civics, which features solo acoustic versions of the tracks on Manifestra.

Hear McKeown discuss and perform several tracks from Manifestra on this edition of World Cafe with host David Dye.

Session Setlist
I Know You Care
Your Song
Anything Could Happen
Lights